homelessness

American  

[hohm-lis-nis] / ˈhoʊm lɪs nɪs /

noun

1. lack of permanent housing, especially this condition generally as a matter of public concern.

   The city partners with community groups to offer resources for youth experiencing homelessness or housing instability.

2. lack of a feeling of belonging; rootlessness or restlessness.

   He writes about a feeling of homelessness after immigration, when he felt neither firmly bound to his native culture nor fully adapted to the new one.

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Sensitive Note

See homeless ( def. ).

Etymology

Origin of homelessness

First recorded in 1810–20; homeless ( def. ) + -ness ( def. )

Explanation

Homelessness is a situation in which people don't have a place to live. A family experiencing homelessness might need to temporarily stay in a city shelter or with a relative. Homelessness is a state of being without a home. The word usually describes the circumstances of people who have fallen on hard times and don't have the money or ability to acquire a safe, stable place to live. Homelessness is a widespread problem across the U.S., with causes that include poverty, addiction, domestic violence, low wages, and lack of affordable housing.

Example Sentences

On the other hand, as Pratt has fairly argued, Raman headed City Council’s homelessness committee, so isn’t she partly to blame for the failures she tried to pin on Bass?

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 4, 2026

She asked me: “Want to cure homelessness? Why don’t you ask the homeless?”

From Slate • Jun. 3, 2026

She has argued Bass has not done enough to address the city's homelessness issue.

From BBC • Jun. 3, 2026

L.A.’s declining share of a contracting film and television industry is hollowing out its middle class, a group Pratt rarely talks about when homelessness is not at issue.

From Slate • Jun. 3, 2026

Consider the recent history of homelessness in the United States.

From "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven D. Levitt